Julie Clark
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Barbecue Pork Chops in Oven
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Master Barbecue Pork Chops in the Oven for perfectly tender chops every time. Includes best cut of pork chops to use, plus tips for grilling and stovetop.
Whether you’re a BBQ enthusiast or a novice cook, everyone can appreciate a perfectly cooked BBQ pork chop. Rich in flavor, tender, and smothered in your favorite BBQ sauce, who can resist? There’s more than one way to cook a BBQ pork chop.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll focus on barbecue pork chops in the oven, but also tips on grilled for the authentic BBQ lovers, and stovetop cooking for ease. Whichever way you choose, you’ll get a perfectly tender pork chop.
About this BBQ Pork Chops Recipe:
- Flavor: It’s important to use a bbq sauce that you love the flavor of. Our favorite is either Sweet Baby Ray’s or our homemade bbq sauce with a smoky flavor.
- Texture: Pork chops have gotten a bad rap for being tough and dry. The key is to not overcook the pork chops. If you follow my instructions below, you’ll end up with a juicy pork chop that no one will complain about!
- Method: I’ll share 3 different methods to making pork chops: on the grill, in the oven and on the stovetop.
Thanks to the Ohio Pork Council for sponsoring this post and allowing us to share this pork chop recipe. Ohio has more than 3500 family pork farms that raise enough pork to feed more than 25 million people.
What kind of pork chops are best?
There are different options when you’re thinking about how to choose pork chops for grilling or baking.
- Name: Choose pork loin chops or center cut chops.
- Boneless vs Bone-in: Both will both work. My family prefers boneless pork chops vs bone-in pork chops.
- Appearance: You want to select chops that are pinkish-red in color with some marbling. The fat marbling is what gives the pork chops flavor.
- Thickness: Buy chops that are at least 1 inch thick. Thinner chops can dry out easily and are less forgiving when it comes to cooking time. The chops we show here were a little over 1″ thick.
pork as a source of protein.
Eating 20 – 30 grams of protein per meal helps fuel your body. Every 3 ounces of pork is packed full of 22–24 grams of protein.
Ingredients Needed
There are two basic ingredients needed for this recipe:
- Pork Chops. Choose bone-in or boneless chops based on the notes above. Remember…thick cut is a must.
- Barbecue Sauce. The specific BBQ sauce is your preference. Choose homemade or your favorite store bought sauce.
BBQ sauce is full of seasoning, but if you’d like more flavor, rub the chops with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder or paprika before marinating them in barbecue sauce.
Looking for a dry rub?
If you don’t want a saucy pork chop, try using our pork dry rub that is loaded with a unique blend of flavors and lightly sweetened with dark brown sugar.
Preparing the Pork Chops
Preparation for barbecue pork chops is simple.
- Use a fork to poke holes in the top and bottom of each pork chop. This will help to tenderize the pork chop and allow the bbq sauce to flavor all of the pork.
- Place the pork chops in a bowl. Pour the bbq sauce over the pork chops. Turn the chops to ensure the bbq sauce completely covers, even the sides of the pork chops.
- Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 4-10 hours.
Do you have to wash pork chops?
No. According to USDA food safety guides, it is not necessary to wash pork or other meats before cooking since they are washed during processing. In fact, washing can increase cross-contamination.
Barbecue Pork Chops in Oven
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Spray a 9×13” baking sheet or baking dish with cooking spray. Line with foil for easy cleanup!
- Place the marinated pork chops in the baking pan.
- Bake the pork chops for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature tests 145ºF (test with a meat thermometer). Mine took about 17 minutes.)
- Note: If you’d like the oven-baked pork chops a little “crispy” on top, bake them for about 13 minutes, then place them under the broiler on high for 3-4 minutes. The bbq sauce will slightly caramelize. Watch them closely and test the internal temperature so they don’t burn or overcook.
- Allow the chops to rest for 5 minutes to seal in the juices, then serve.
Grilled Barbecue Pork Chops
- Heat a grill to 400ºF.
- Place pork chops directly on the grill grates. Grill for 5-6 minutes on one side, then flip the chops. Brush more bbq sauce over the chops.
- Grill for 6-10 minutes on the other side, until the internal temperature of the pork tests 145ºF.
- Allow the chops to rest for 5 minutes to seal in the juices, then serve.
BBQ Pork Chops on Stove
- Place two tablespoons of olive oil (or vegetable oil) in large skillet. Heat over medium high heat.
- Place the marinated pork chops on the skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes, then then flip the chops. Brush more bbq sauce over the chops.
- Cook for an additional 6-10 minutes on the other side, until the internal temperature of the pork tests 145ºF.
- Allow the chops to rest for 5 minutes to seal in the juices, then serve.
How can I prevent my pork chops from drying out?
In order to have juicy pork chops, it’s important to not overcook them. Use a meat thermometer to ensure your chops reach an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C), which is the recommended safe temperature by the USDA. Let them rest for a few minutes after cooking to allow the juices to redistribute throughout the chop.
The Best instant read Thermometer
We LOVE our Thermoworks ThermaPen to quickly test meat temperatures. This probe thermometer is AMAZING. Get it here.
What to Serve with Barbecue Pork Chops
Baked barbecue pork chops are the perfect beginning to everything from a summer picnic or warm winter dinner. Here are a few side dishes for pork chops:
Storage Instructions
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze any leftovers for up to 6 weeks.
Other Pork Chop Recipes to Love
Love barbecue sauce? Try our shredded bbq chicken sandwiches.
Barbecue Pork Chops in Oven
Master Barbecue Pork Chops in the Oven for perfectly tender chops every time. Includes best cut of pork chops to use, plus tips for grilling and stovetop.
Servings 4
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Marinade Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 thick-cut pork chops at least 1" thick
- 3/4 cup barbecue sauce
Instructions
Prepare the pork chops:
- Use a fork to poke holes in the top and bottom of each pork chop. This will help to tenderize the pork chop and allow the bbq sauce to flavor all of the pork.
- Place the pork chops in a bowl. Pour the bbq sauce over the pork chops. Turn the chops to ensure the bbq sauce completely covers, even the sides of the pork chops.
- Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-10 hours.
Oven Baked BBQ Pork Chops:
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Spray a 9×13” baking pan with cooking spray. Place the marinated pork chops in the baking pan.
- Bake the pork chops for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature tests 145ºF (test with a meat thermometer). Mine took about 17 minutes.)
- Note: If you'd like the chops a little "crispy" on top, bake them for about 13 minutes, then place them under the broiler on high for 3-4 minutes. The bbq sauce will slightly caramelize. Watch them closely and test the internal temperature so they don't burn or overcook.
- Allow the chops to rest for 5 minutes to seal in the juices, then serve.
Grill the pork chops:
- Heat a grill to 400ºF.
- Place the marinated pork chops directly on the grill grates. Grill for 5-6 minutes on one side, then flip the chops. Brush more bbq sauce over the chops.
- Grill for 6-10 minutes on the other side, until the internal temperature of the pork tests 145ºF. Allow the chops to rest for 5 minutes to seal in the juices, then serve.
Cook the chops in a skillet:
- Place two tablespoons of olive oil (or vegetable oil) in large skillet. Heat over medium high heat.
- Place the marinated pork chops on the skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes, then then flip the chops. Brush more bbq sauce over the chops.
- Cook for an additional 6-10 minutes on the other side, until the internal temperature of the pork tests 145ºF. Allow the chops to rest for 5 minutes to seal in the juices, then serve.
Video
Notes
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
The calories shown are based on the recipe making 4 pork chops, with 1 serving being 1 pork chop. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**
Nutrition
Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 617mg | Potassium: 624mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 125IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg
